McGuigan so close to top spot

Peter Jackson consults his stats book to chart the top scorers from Europe’s three major leagues

When he joined Darlington Mowden Park at the age of ten, George McGuigan could never have imagined that one day he would find his name among Europe’s leading try scorers.

In accounting for more than 25 per cent of Newcastle Falcons’ tries over a struggling Premiership season, their hooker didn’t just make the top 40 finishers across the three major league competitions. One more would have put the eagle-eyed Falcon joint top alongside a pair of Test wings.

Max Malins, below, and James Lowe share top billing with 18 tries apiece, the Englishman from 24 matches, his Irish counterpart from five fewer over the course of a season when Leinster’s surprising home defeat against the Pretoria-based Bulls denied the converted Kiwi one last fling in the United Rugby Championship final.

McGuigan finishes joint third, a fact which suggests he may not have to wait much longer to shed his uncapped status. Since playing the last of 21 times for Ireland at under-age has managed no more than the briefest of appearances for any England team, in South Africa six years ago. level, he

During the Saxons’ winning series against the Springboks’ A team, McGuigan found himself restricted to the last 12 minutes of the second and final match at George where Christian Wade’s late try made all the difference.

Two of those on duty have since forged international careers elsewhere – Nick Tompkins for Wales, Mike Haley for Ireland. McGuigan can go on hammering at England’s door or take his chance somewhere in the lengthy queue of Irish hookers behind Ronan Kelleher and Dan Sheehan.

The Rugby Paper’s final tally, based on all club and international matches since the start of the season last September, includes no fewer than six hookers. Agustin Creevy, London Irish’s 37-year-old Argentinian, finishes alongside McGuigan in joint-third place.

Two more beneficiaries of the thriving truck-and-trailer brigade can be found in the top 20 – Leinster’s Sheehan and Jack Singleton of Gloucester. An uncapped duo from the Premiership, Gabriel Oghre of Wasps and the Saracen Tom Woolstencroft, can be spotted a little further down the list.

Leo Berdeu, the as yet uncapped Lyon fly half, finishes way out on his own as Europe’s highest points scorer. Owen Farrell would have given him a serious run for his money had he not missed more than half the season, injury wiping him out all six England matches following their home win over Australia last November.

Touchdown: George McGuigan scores his second of the game for Newcastle against Saracens

PICTURE: Getty Images

Points machine: Leo Berdeu kicks a penalty for Lyon